WOULD PREDATORS BE JUST FINE MISSING SEASON TICKET DEADLINE?

The Predators, who must sell 12,000 season-tickets by
March 31, are "believed to have sold between" 9,500 to
10,000 as of Friday, according to Jeff Legwold of the
TENNESSEAN. But if the team does not meet its goal, "it is
highly unlikely the franchise would be revoked." Legwold
wrote that many "inside the league have said privately" the
team would be "heavily fined -- as much as" $5M to $10M --
if the sales target is not reached. NHL Commissioner Gary
Bettman: "Simply put I have to take into account that there
are three other franchises coming into the league over the
next three seasons who are watching, so this is a condition
I take very seriously" (TENNESSEAN, 3/7).